Shudderpeak
Shudderpeak, the "sunken city, everrising," rests in Crater Valley, surrounded by the tallest peaks of the Tremor Mountain Range. Shudderpeak is the most populated city in the Eastern Highlands and is the third most populated city in all of Splendoria, after Civica and Lutumholde, and before Heartswallow. Background The city now known as Shudderpeak was once an archdukedom called Brackenbreeze, so-named for the family of the historic Archduke Anders Dunbur Brackenbreeze IV. Brackenbreeze IV's lineage ruled the archdukedom for seven generations until the family's demise under Archduke Pheston Womaar Caliga Brackenbreeze, the First and Only. Archduke Pheston Brackenbreeze was a cruel and sadistic ruler. He inherited the throne at a young age after the tragic death of his father and untimely death of his older brother. During his reign, Pheston Brackenbreeze treated his people with great hostility, he taxed the people to utter starvation, commandeered the peasants' resources, and instituted hateful policies targeting the archdukedom's most vulnerable populations. Pheston the First and Only was convinced to such an extent, a great fortune was buried deep within the Tremor Mountains, that he conscripted all able-bodied men to mine and quarry Shudder Mountain. Long-held fury began to flare following the devastating uplift of Shudder Mountain, resulting in the subterranean entrapment and death (by oxygen depravation, dehydration, and starvation) of twenty-nine young miners. Historic accounts recall that nearly the entire town worked day and night for five days and four nights to unearth the miners. Unfortunately, the rescuers failed to reach the trapped miners in time. On the night after the miners' bodies were recovered, a night known as the "Uplift's Downfall," the people of Brackenbreeze, led by the townswomen widowed from the Shudder Mountain uplift, took to the streets to riot against the cruel treatment of their fellow brothers, husbands, and sons. The townspeople rounded up the members of the noble families, namely the Brackenbreezes, and drove them to the newly formed peak of Shudder Mountain and forced them over the edge, and so ended the nobility and with it, the archdukedom of Brackenbreeze. Soon after the Uplift's Downfall, the people of post-Brackenbreeze decided to form a government without nobility. Decisions were made by a democratically elected Council of Tremorian Elders. This republican system of governance persists today. Citizens of Shudderpeak are known as "Tremorians," named after the mountain range near-which the city is located. Tremorians are known the world over to be a stubborn yet open-minded, generous, and intellectual people. Education After Queen Tyressa forbade the academic teachings of "improper topics," scholars flocked to Shudderpeak as a refuge as no noble family was present in Shudderpeak to carry out her orders. It wasn't long after this that glorious universities and world-class institutions of knowledge began to spring up all across the city. Paramount University, arguably the most prestigious school in the world, is located in the city's 5th District. Government Shudderpeak's system of government is distinguishable from others found across Splendoria in that it employs a democratic republic with powers divided amongst various tiers. The Executive Tier * The Chancellory ** Chancellor Jasper Sampson Knott (Forwardist Union) ** Gatekeeper Mydus Maxweather (Forwardist Union) ** Administrator Xusana Roskhugh (Forwardist Union) ** Treasurer Rebecca Figganslee (Egalitarian Movement) ** Solicitor Wilda Jephcote (Conditionalist Party) ** Commander Zedgar Sylas (Conditionalist Party) The Legislative Tier * The Summit The Summit Rulebook calls for Summitors to adhere to a dress code when conducting any official business. Though colors, patterns, and fabrics are subject to customization depending on the tastes and preferences of the individual Summitor, the uniforms follow a standard design template: # A wide-brimmed hat with a flat-topped crown worn in a primary hue (black, charcoal, gray, olive, navy, beige, mocha) with a thin band or ribbon in a secondary hue (more vibrant colors) wound along the crown. # A white buttoned long-sleeved shirt, tunic, or blouse with a crossover tie or band in a secondary hue with a sideronze clasp worn under a buttoned collar. # Pleated trousers or skirt in a primary hue with sideronze buckled belt # An "elder-cut" suit in primary hue: pleated double breasted coat unbuttoned at the top so the loose fabric folds over diagonally, with pleated sleeves running to the mid forearm, and front-to-back circular pleated tail running just below the knee, buttons starting at the waist # Primary hued shoes The Adjudicative Tier * The Tribunal ** Chieftain Sandre Brentburn (FU) ** Justice Leona Kress (CP) ** Justice Marc Winmoore (AF) ** Justice Newtyn Ber Top (FU) ** Justice Launcelot Buckdwarn (CP) ** Justice Charmaigne Wigram (EM) ** Justice Juna Smithford (FU) Political Groups * The Egalitarian Movement (EM) ** Ideology: left-of-center ** Color: olive ** Seats in Chancellory: 1/6 ** Seats in Summit: 6/25 ** Seats in Tribunal: 1/7 ** Influential Members: *** Treasurer Rebecca Figganslee *** Summit Leader Giana Nonas *** Justice Charmaigne Wigram * The Forwardist Union (FU) ** Ideology: center-left ** Color: navy ** Seats in Chancellory: 3/6 ** Seats in Summit: 7/25 ** Seats in Tribunal: 3/7 ** Influential Members: *** Chancellor Jasper Sampson Knott *** Summit Leader Amicus Blairwhey *** Chieftain Sandre Bentburn *** Gatekeeper Mydus Maxweather *** Administrator Xusana Roskhugh *** Justice Newtyn Ber Top *** Justice Juna Smithford * The Conditionalist Party (CP) ** Ideology: center-right ** Color: beige ** Seats in Chancellory: 2/6 ** Seats in Summit: 8/25 ** Seats in Tribunal: 2/7 ** Influential Members: *** Solicitor Wilda Jephcote *** Summit Leader Erl DeRomma *** Ranking Justice Leona Kress *** Commander Zedgar Sylas *** Justice Launcelot Buckdwarn * The Absolutarian Front (AF) ** Ideology: right-of-center ** Color: mocha ** Seats in Chancellory: 0/6 ** Seats in Summit: 4/25 ** Seats in Tribunal: 1/7 ** Influential Members: *** Summit Leader Tomos Newconwynmont *** Justice Marc Winmoore